The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-30
GEN. N. B. FORREST.
A Member of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry
Tells of Their Meetings with Him.

by thu surviving soldiers of the blue or gray, de-
sirous of facts, unquest;onabiy is source OF
much interest to any of the boys who. during
the darkest hours of our Nations strife were in
constant field service. But now and then we
read an article in some daily paper which does
not accord with our views, and it naturally
forces just criticism. Some exsoldier with
superabundance of gush flies into print to sat
urate the continent with expressions Of praise
he thinks due his commanding officer for valor-
Gus deeds that history seems 10 have overlooked.
and. in doing SO, allows his enthusiasm to con-
troll his good sense
Such were my feelings after reading the arti-
Gle which appeared in the Indianapolis News OF
March 10 over the signature of A. G. Gooch, OF
Auburn. Ky. an exconfederate soldier, in which
he places the illustrious hero, N. B. Forrest, by
the side of Caesar, Napoleon. Wellington and
Nelson. He says of General Forrest, ''The most
gifted by nature of his generation and speaks
of the Fort Pillow massacre in this strain: 1.-The
capture of Fort Pillow a daring achieve
ment and showed ability of the highest order
Speaking Of the battle of Briceas Crossroads in
Mississippi. he says: 'The battle of Brces Cross
roads. in Mississippi, in which he Forrest routed
200 men under Stureis and Smith and almost
he says it does, s'Ike the stories OF Sir William
Wallace
Let us concede n B. Forrest to have been a
brave man Of no mean reputation. He was
man who was feared by his own officers. II my
lot had fallen to tramp under the confederate
flag never would have thought of N. b. For
rest on a line with Albert Sidney Johnston. Lee.
or old Stonewall Jackson.
We knew General Forrest in several instances
to our discontinue. When Forrest first came
prominently under our notice it was when the
news reached our command OF the Fort Pillow
massacre Massacre did | saya Yes, and one of
| the foulest that ever darkened the pages OF
| American history, save the AndersOnvie prison
pen. No quarter given-white men shot down
| for being with niggers, and nicgers for being
nieeers. There is one fact that cannot be dis
puted The outrage occurred and Forests COM
maud received the benefit of it. and Forrest was
| in command. On this, then, let us draw the
veil, out of respect for the dead.
| Now, as to the expedition in Mississippi. In
| February 1864, Gen. B. Fl. Grierson was not In
command of the expedition to Egypt station.
Miss. General Sherman ordered Gen. w. s.
! Smith to take the cavalry force to Meridian.
/ where ne had a force of infantry waiting for US.
| Grierson was subject to Smiths orders. If this
| had been reversed General Grierson would
have gone to Meridian if there had only been a
| remnant Of US left when we got there.
/ General Grierson had strong confidence in
Indiana soldiers, and on the 22d day Of Feb
ruary, 1864, at the Okolorio, Miss, during
the fight ordered glorious old regiment
the Seventh Cavalry-to charge Forests
line. We saved q battery of howitzers and a
| wagon train.
In referring to the battle Of Brce's Cross
roads, on June 10, 1864, or what afterwards
became Familiarity known rs the Guntown
fight, l desire to say that General Sherman
was at this time moving toward the city of
Atlanta, Ga The railroad from Nashville
| to where he was operating had
to be guarded Forrest had gathered large
cavalry and artillery force In northern Missis-
sippi. in order to destroy Shermsns line Of COM
munication. The greater part of ours-the
Sixteenth Corps-was in the vicinity OF Nash
vile, awaiting Sherman's orders. The remnant
OF the Sixteenth Army Corps, which numbered
less than ten thousand men. were in the vicinity
of Memphis. OF this number we composed the
expedition that on the morning OF juno l, 1864.
left Memphis, leaving about four thousand men
out of this number to protect the city. General
Sturgis ordered by General Sherman
to take command of the expedition Gen.
A. j. Smith was not on this expedi-
ton. For nine consecutive days the
rain continued to pour down, giving us
creeks and rivers to bridge. and on the evening
of June 8 We had travelled on roads made almost
impossible one hundred and sixty miles, and
went into camp under a clear sky south of
BETHANY Church.
On the morning of June 10 our regiment had
the advance, and opened the fight south of
Brice's Crossroads at 10 o'clock. The cavalry
our wagon train slowly following US. The in
fantry never reached until l o'clock. and
when they came up were in no condition
to go into battle, having run eight
this moment our force of cavalry.
which was less than 5000, were fighting dis
mounted The first infantry regiment that
passed our line the Ninety-third Indiana.
followed by the Ninety-ffth Ohio. forming in
the field west of Brice's HOUSE.. facing south and
fronting what we afterwards learned was Bella
| brigade and Morton's battery: We were within
stones throw of the rebel main line when up the
Ian fr0v Shnnc fho ffv
fifth United States Colored Infantry, shout
ing Remember Sort Pillow" throwing
away blankets and blouses, and many Of
Sassheaasd Remember sr' th saoA' er sne
fully, and yet can only think
of them as unrestrained fends. They
knew it was death to be captured. and how
they fought. Thirty two hundred men to whir
eleven thousand indeed! There are too many
. sensible men vet living that were in that hghi
who know better--and also men who were capt
ured in subsequent actions state that there we're
seven Confederate generals therein. B. Forrest
S. d. Lee, Buford, Chalmers, Bell, johnson and
Rucker-to command thlrty-two hundred men
My opinion of General Forrest has always
: been that he could command that mum
Der of men without any other generapl
: help True enough we were defeated in this
: battle, and our retreat sad affair, but God
/: knows the only man who dseraced himself wal
!; Sturgis and it would be charity to say that b,
| was incompetent.
How about Tupelol There was fight Their,
just following this fight and A. g. Smith wa
in command. Smoke this
! Nothing is said Of Vernon, Miss, where on
: command, later on surprised and captured For
rests camp, burned large amount of rebe
: stores including sixteen cars loaded for Hood
i army besides 1000 English carbines that neutra
England had sold Americans to kill American
e with.
/ All desire further to say about Guntown i
simply to produce for the benefit OF any VIII
/ may desire to read. the order from Genera
;. Grierson. to be read at dress parade for GU
h | regiment
= HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION,
: SIXTEENTH ARMY CoRPs
MEMPHIS July 2 1864. }
To the Officers and Men composing the Seventh In
diana Gava lrv.